Multi-storey car park plans to progress

Plans to demolish two pubs in the centre of Sunderland to make way for a four-storey car park look set to progress.Sunderland City Council is behind plans to clear a 1.61-acre site in Holmeside which currently houses Sinatra’s Public House and the Railway Club.The demolition will facilitate the erection of a 404-space car park, comprising 17 disabled bays, cycle storage and 88 spaces with electric charging points.A commercial unit is also proposed for the ground floor.A design and access statement submitted with the plans outlined that the scheme would accommodate “the increasing local demand for more parking spaces” and help support the regeneration of the urban core.It added that it will create a sustainable transport hub within the Holmeside area, which will aid “increased footfall and pedestrian activity”.Sinatra’s vacated the building in January 2022 with the owners of the pub now looking to move into another building within the area.A heritage statement added that, while the building is not an officially recognised non-designed heritage asset, it does have historic and communal value.However, the statement added that the public benefits of the scheme would “outweigh the harm caused from the loss of Sinatra’s”.The Railway Club is still in use, but its tenancy expires in October and the operators will then vacate the building.The heritage statement added that both buildings are “run down, may contain asbestos and would require substantial investment to modernise for new community uses”.As a result, the plans will go before Sunderland City Council on 3 October with the recommendation for approval.